Kaz: Hello I’m Kaz.
Yang Li: And I’m Yang Li. Hey Kaz I see you have brought some guests to the studio.
Kaz: Indeed I have. Li I’d like you to meet Tom… Dick… and Harry.
TDH: How do you do?
Yang Li: How do you do. It’s always nice to meet new people Kaz, but I suspect these young men are here for a reason. Am I right?
Kaz: Yes Li I’ve invited them because their names are Tom, Dick and Harry.
Yang Li: Tom, Dick and Harry. Three popular English names – connected to a popular phrase by any chance Kaz?
Kaz: Absolutely right Li. Our phrase today is ‘every Tom, Dick and Harry’.
Yang Li: ‘Every Tom, Dick and Harry’ – meaning everyone with a common name I suppose.
Kaz: Yes, In English if you want to talk about lots of unspecified people you can use the phrase ‘every Tom, Dick and Harry’.
Yang Li: So it’s like saying ‘everyone’, right?
Kaz: That’s right but it’s more informal and slightly humorous.
Yang Li: OK, I think you should demonstrate its use Kaz.
Kaz: Good idea Li. Imagine I tell you something in confidence, in private… I could ask you not to repeat it.
Yang Li: Because we don’t want everyone knowing about it.
Kaz: Exactly. We don’t want every Tom, Dick and Harry knowing about it.
Yang Li: We don’t want every Tom, Dick and Harry knowing our secret Kaz.
Kaz: You’ve got it Li!
Yang Li: OK, let’s listen to some more examples:
- Shhhhh! Lower your voice! We don’t want every Tom, Dick and Harry to hear us.
- Make sure you send out invitations, otherwise you’ll have every Tom, Dick and Harry showing up at your party.
- Whatever you do, don’t tell Doug. He can’t keep a secret and soon every Tom, Dick and Harry will know about it.
Yang Li: Those three names are interesting and each is a short form of a longer name. I know Tom is the diminutive of Thomas and Harry is short for Harold. But what’s Dick short for?
Kaz: Dick is short for Richard.
Yang Li: Ah yes, of course, Dick is short for Richard. So what’s Kaz short for?
Kaz: We don’t need to know that Li.
Yang Li: Why not Kaz?
Kaz: Because we are very unlikely to ever say ‘every Kaz, Dick and Harry’.
Yang Li: Very funny Kaz but it’s time to say goodbye to our guests ‘Tom, Dick and Harry’. So, goodbye chaps!
TDH: Goodbye!
Kaz: And it’s goodbye from us.
Kaz/Yang Li: Bye!